Royal College of Art drops white male diversity chief amid accusations of 'insidious systemic racism'

More than 800 members of staff at the institution wrote a letter condeming Mark Harrison's appointment

23h

The arts are an essential service – as vital as health, education, defence

The Tories' cash injection is not before time, says Mark Hudson, but it's still a box of band-aids rather than a life-saving transfusion

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The Louvre reopens with new rules and restrictions after heavy coronavirus losses

Iconic Parisian art museum has lost more than £36m during the coronavirus pandemic

3d

Rubens painting worth £3.5m revealed under 140 years of dirt and varnish

'It's one of those moments that you have a couple of times a year when you walk in, and you have this wonderful instant reaction of glee,' says expert at Sotheby's

3d

Keith Haring: The too-brief life and joyful work of the gay, bespectacled pop artist

The new BBC documentary 'Keith Haring: Street Art Boy' explores the life of the Eighties artist, whose often politically charged work lives on through mugs and T-shirts the world over, writes Fiona Sturges

6d

Francis Bacon triptych fetches $84m during live-streamed auction

Triptych is only the sixth of its kind to appear in an auction

2w

String quartet performs to thousands of plants as Barcelona opera house reopens

Four-piece group played Puccini to auditorium filled with plants

3w

17th century Virgin Mary painting botched after being cleaned by 'furniture restorer'

Spanish art collector reportedly paid £1000 to have painting restored

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Louis Theroux describes 'random' encounter with Banksy at football match in 2001

'I'm one of the only people to have met Banksy – and we bonded over Peter Crouch!' said Theroux

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UK's creative sector 'on the brink of devastation' with thousands of jobs at risk, experts warn

Music, theatre, film, publishing and architecture industries, which were in rude health before the pandemic, are now facing catastrophe

4w